BIRMINGHAMTHEBLUECOATSCHOOL1722

Welcome back to the second half of the Lent term at BCS.

If January is about resolutions bravely made, February at a prep school is about resolutions vigorously tested. This week has been a case study in energy, orchestration and mild logistical brinkmanship, and I would not have it any other way.

We began, as all high functioning schools should, with Year 1 and a music recital of such intensity that one might have mistaken it for Glyndebourne with juice boxes. There is something deeply reassuring about watching six year olds approach a song with the seriousness of a concert pianist. It reminds me of what Plato once observed: ‘music gives a soul to the universe and wings to the mind’. 

From there, we moved seamlessly into a swimming gala against Bromsgrove School. Competitive spirit is alive and well. The atmosphere was electric, the races fiercely contested and the sportsmanship exemplary. In an age when national discourse can sometimes resemble a poorly refereed playground disagreement, it is refreshing to see young people compete hard, shake hands and mean it. One is tempted to invite certain figures in Westminster to observe and take notes.

Cultural celebration has also been front and centre. Our Chinese Dragon Dance to mark Lunar New Year was a moment of colour, rhythm and shared joy. It was a reminder that education, at its best, broadens horizons and fosters curiosity about the wider world. As Confucius wrote: ‘education breeds confidence, confidence breeds hope and hope breeds peace’. I suspect he would have approved of the dragon weaving its way through the crowds of pupils with such theatrical precision.

As I write, Year 5 pupils are en route to the NEC for the Young Voices concert. This is one of those occasions that captures the spirit of collective endeavour. Schools from across the country unite to sing, not tentatively but with full hearted enthusiasm. There is something profoundly moving about hundreds of children belting out classics in unison. My sincere thanks go to Mrs Creaton for masterminding this operation. Coordinating pupils, permissions and pitch is no small feat.

Looking ahead, we wish our cross country team every success at the Malvern Cross Country on Sunday. Early morning training sessions require fortitude of a rare kind. Aristotle noted that: ‘excellence is not an act but a habit’ and when one sees pupils running before most of us have located the kettle, I suspect they are quietly proving him right.

As we embark on this second half of term, I am conscious that schools do not thrive by accident. They flourish through shared values and consistent effort. At BCS, perseverance, respect and kindness are not decorative words for a prospectus. They are lived realities. Yes, this includes parking. If we can demonstrate courtesy in a car park at 8.15 in the morning, we can manage almost anything as a civilisation.

In all seriousness, thank you for your partnership. Supporting our pupils to thrive is a collective enterprise. It requires patience, humour and the occasional deep breath. It also requires high expectations and the courage to hold them.

I remain immensely proud of what our pupils achieve week by week, whether in the pool, on the stage, on the field or in the classroom. Together, we continue to aim high and move forward as one.

Happy weekend.